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Courts giving fibromyalgia more respect; sadly, insurers are not

A recent decision by a federal district court in Indiana suggests that fibromyalgia continues to gain credibility in the legal realm. It is too bad that some long-term disability insurance carriers still have an outdated view of the condition.

In Kennedy v. The Lilly Extended Disability Plan, the judge sided with a woman who was fighting for her long-term disability benefits due to fibromyalgia. She was a manager at the drug company Eli Lilly & Co. until her fibromyalgia symptoms left her unable to work. She was approved for long-term disability (LTD) benefits.

After several years, her former employer’s insurance carrier changed. The new insurer, Sedgwick Claims Management services, requested that she be seen by an independent physician. That independent physician refused to classify her as disabled, despite years of evidence to the contrary. Thankfully, the court demanded justice and ordered the LTD insurer to restore her benefits.